Courtesy of Danielle Langloism, Wikipedia CCLGoat Horns, No Horns?
Layne at Trees Too Much Detail talks about horning and dehorning her goats and the Cashmere goats she cares for at Black Locust Farm in Maine.
“There is certainly a risk of injury with a horned goat,” she writes. “Once I was combing a goat on his neck, and he turned his head quickly and I got a horn in the eye. I thought I was in big trouble, but it was fine after I rolled in agony on the snow for a minute.”
I never dehorn a goat! I do HAVE some that sre that way – and some that are naturally polled, but I have never “done the deed”. It’s the only defence a goat has. We need to be extra careful when handling ANY goat with horns, it’s not the goats fault is an injury occurs.
Horns also make “handling” a goat easier. Sometimes a collor or halter is just too hard to grab.